The Early Industrial Revolution - Essay Example

Running head: Industrial Revolution. The Early Industrial Revolution Institution:The Early Industrial Revolution. The late eighteenth and early nineteenth century witnessed an unprecedented growth in the manufacturing industry in England and Europe. This is termed the Industrial Revolution. The Industrial Revolution brought about momentous changes in the political, economic and social spheres. England may be considered the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution.

A combination of factors made England particularly suited to the early rise of industrialism, and gave her an advantage over her continental rivals. The Commercial Revolution of the seventeenth and eighteenth century saw England emerge as the dominant colonial power. These colonies in the East and West Indies, and North America, served as an overseas market for England’s domestic goods, and also provided raw material and manufactured goods. The powerful British naval fleet guarded mercantile access to these markets.

At the same time, England’s Scientific Revolution resulted in several inventions, such as the spinning jenny and the steam engine, which lowered production costs and market prices, and increased speed. A rapid growth in population and rising standards of living increased mass consumption and stimulated demand. This population growth also provided England with a large labor force. While the economic and political structure of Europe continued to stagnate under the feudal ancien regime, England’s fledgling democracy witnessed the curtailment of the power of the monarchy and the aristocracy, and the emergence of the influential new middle class, for whom the pursuit of money was socially acceptable.

Property and contract rights were guaranteed, giving “England an important "edge" over its more backward European continental rivals” (Roger, webpage). The English Government’s commercial regulations emphasized the domestic economic interest, and supported entrepreneurs. England boasted a higher level of elementary education than Europe, which contributed towards innovation. England’s Transport Revolution, facilitated by improved road, water and rail infrastructure, and heightened by the inherent advantages of a long, indented coastline, numerous rivers and natural harbors, enabled the speedy movement of raw goods to the factories, and manufactured goods to the market.

The Agricultural Revolution saw the transition from small land holdings into large farms, the introduction of new crop varieties and farm implements, increasing the yield of industrial raw material, such as cotton and grain. This was in contrast to Europe, where subsistence farming on small holdings persisted. As part of England’s Financial Revolution, many private banks emerged, along with the central Bank of England, and mobilized funds and generated credit. Finally, while Europe’s vast reserves of wood kept energy needs supplied as in medieval times, England’s wood shortage stimulated the search for alternatives, giving a boost to the exploitation of coal and iron ore, and maximizing the utilization of her vast natural resources.

Industrialism brought about major social changes. There was rapid urbanization, leading to the growth of industrial cities, with the urban population increasing from 17% in 1801 to 54% in 1891. Living conditions were often cramped and unsanitary, leading to epidemics and malnutrition. The use of coal caused high pollution and respiratory diseases, and child labor was common. However, the seeds of urban planning and a public health movement, and reform of the factories, under the Factories Acts, were sown.

A new middle-class emerged, with a powerful role in the economy and politics, and in social values. The businessmen, the industrialists and the bankers formed the ‘upper’ middle class, and the clerks, managers and salaried professionals of the banks, insurance companies, shipping and railways, the ‘lower’ middle-class. Several new occupations, other than agriculture, were created, leading to changes in education to impart the needed skills. There was a marked rise in living standards, although the gap between the rich and the poor increased markedly.

ReferencesBurt, Roger. (2001). British Industrialization in the Eighteenth and Early Nineteenth Centuries. Retrieved on 12 April 2009 from http://people.exeter.ac.uk/RBurt/exeteronly/HEC1010/Lecture3.html Suffolk Community College. HS-12 Course Readings. Urbanization. The Family and Class Structure in mid-19th Century Europe. Retrieved on 12 April 2009 fromhttp://www2.sunysuffolk.edu/westn/urban.html